Dodgers’ Blake Snell Says He Sees a Lot of Bobby Miller in Himself
Bobby Miller has a shadow at spring training this year and it’s for good reason.
Blake Snell made it a point to seek out the budding star when he arrived at Camelback Ranch but he doesn’t want people to think he has become a mentor. It’s more of a friendship, especially because he sees himself in Miller.
“Y’all are saying I’m taking him under my wing,” Snell said with a laugh. “But we’re just friends, learning. I wouldn’t say I’m a mentor. We’re friends.”
“I asked Blake myself, how does that [relationship] manifest,” manager Dave Roberts added. “And he just said that, ‘I see Bobby in myself.’”
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Snell’s career followed a similar trajectory.
As a rookie in 2016, he posted a 3.54 ERA with nearly 10 strikeouts per nine innings. His second season saw a slight dip in performance, with his ERA rising to 4.04 and his strikeout rate declining. However, by his third year, he broke out, winning 21 games, leading the American League with a 1.89 ERA, and earning the first of his two Cy Young Awards.
In 2023, Miller made an immediate impact as a rookie, showcasing a high-90s fastball and intense mound presence. He finished the season 11-4 with a 3.76 ERA, securing a spot in the postseason rotation. However, his momentum was short-lived, as shoulder issues limited him to just 13 starts last year, during which he struggled to an 8.52 ERA.
Miller wants to forget about his disastrous 2024 and Snell doesn’t ask about it. Their focus is on the present and how to be better in 2025.
“He’ll learn,” Snell said. “He’s such an amazing talent. I don’t ask him what he did last year because I don’t care. I think what he’s gonna do is way more important than what happened. Learn from it. Get better.”
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With the addition of Snell, Roki Sasaki, and Shohei Ohtani to the starting rotation, Miller has to fight for the No. 5 spot in the rotation. However, working alongside Snell is already paying off.
“Huge is not even doing that justice,” Roberts said of Snell’s early impact on Miller.
“Obviously we know how talented Bobby is. But to have a peer, a guy who’s won Cy Youngs, want to personally invest in him, there’s only great upside for both players and the organization as a whole.”
Photo Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
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